


Clockwork Owls

by Kronecker_Delta



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game), Nier Gestalt | Nier Replicant | Nier (Video Games), The Owl House (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kronecker_Delta/pseuds/Kronecker_Delta
Summary: Lilith makes a concerted effort to do something nice for her sister's apprentice. And fails catastrophically. Now stranded on an Earth that isn't right, can she keep herself and one lone human alive on a world that's moved well past humanity...(Mind you the locals don't seem to have moved past much of anything...)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Clockwork Owls

_There are many forms of magic now lost to us. With the coming of the Coven System and the end of the so-called Savage Ages, Wild Magic and all forms of blended sorcery have been all but exterminated from the Boiling Isles. Though that is far from the only things lost during this transition._

_Many practitioners of particularly strange and curious arts faced determined persecution when Emperor Belos secured his rule. Older summoning and demonic binding ritualists were brought into the fold, their specific knowledge parceled out to other covens, Abominations and Golemancy in particular, with anything of unusual note kept to Belos and his personal coven (and enforcers) alone. Divination and necromantic contact faced similar states, consumed by the Oracle coven with many of the more exotic and potent abilities secured only for those the Emperor deemed worthy._

_One exception to this were those skilled in the creation of mystic doorways and portals, the so-called ‘Dimension Witches’. They had always been a reserved and withdrawn group that guarded its secrets only to those who had proven their worth to prior masters through a long apprenticeship. This led to them being uniquely unable to contend with Belos’ fanatical pursuit of their membership, till only rare and potent artifacts of these witches remain in the current era. Those that could run from Belos’ power did so, to realms strange and far by way of arts now lost to us all._

_And those that did not were captured, and took their secrets to their graves._

_-The Unauthorized History of the Boiling Isles._

****

As most of her poor decisions came from, this one too arose from guilt.

In the few weeks since their escape from petrification (frankly death by way of being your own headstone) Lilith had had little to do but stew over the full extent of her failure. As a sister and now a witch. As the band of white streaking through her hair and the mismatch of her eyes now told, the curse she now shared had left deeper marks upon her then mere cosmetic annoyances. The fact that she would have found it difficult to make use of the simple illusions necessary to hide those issues, let alone holding the spell in place was proof enough of that.

Of course, she shouldn’t complain.

At least she could still cast magic.

The same could not be said for her sister. Edalyn, poor Edalyn… the younger Clawthorne despite what the ravages of her curse might lead one to believe and yet always so much more talented. To have snuffed out such a talent, forced her own sister to burn out every last spark of her own power in the foolish belief that-

Well, it hardly mattered now.

Just one more thing she could blame herself for.

Which is what led her out here.

The human- _Luz_ -had been despondent as of late, the rush of her victory at last having worn off and the busy work of re-teaching what had been the finest witch (as much as it might have begrudged her to admit it) of the Boiling Isles the basics of magic as the human had managed to learn it. Scribbled glyphs on sheets of paper; a far cry from the elegance and ease at which she had summoned it before. A fate that could and likely would befall her as well in time. Taking that curse… _her_ curse, the one she had laid upon her own kin, onto herself as well may have spared her sister from losing her form but it hadn’t done anything to restore the stolen years or magic…

And already she could feel that a shock of grey-white went deeper than appearances. Her own powers were coming harder, draining her more than they should.

“To think Edalyn managed so much like this for so long,” Lilith said, words strained as she felt her sweat form on her brow as she dragged still glowing finger about a circle on the wood. A great arch of woven tree, urged into an unnatural shape by her powers and now covered in a strange form of written spell-craft. In light of what the human had learned she now saw the similarities between this ancient and lost form of _portal-making_ and the glyphs that she had been learning. The difference was a staggering greater complexity… but thankfully while she might fall short in natural talent Lilith had always had rather good memory.

The text on portal making had been incomplete, mere fragments among ashes, but what of it she had seen during her time at the head of Belos’ Coven had been enough. Presuming she had copied it correctly this should form the foundation for making a more… extreme form of a portal. Extending the mere act of translocation in space far beyond even the dangerous difficulty of seven-league steps. A true _Dimensional Gate_ … if only she had the proper key.

In so much as the address she sought to reach.

_“That is the problem…”_

Even if her effort could work, not a guarantee in the slightest given the incomplete nature of the original text and her efforts to recreate it from memory, without a destination to specify she’d simply be casting whatever stepped through into the depths of umbral winds, to land wherever they may. Not exactly the desired goal when it was an attempt to assuage yet another of her many errors.

That being the reason for the human… for Edalyn’s apprentice being so melancholy as of late. Belos had desired the portal to Earth far more than he had her loyalty or even the capture of the notorious wild witch, and its destruction by that same apprentice had stranded her here with no way back to her home. While she’d never cared much to learn the hearsay knowledge of human culture, Lilith rather doubted that Belos had desired that portal for the sake of human knickknacks and the other assorted junk her sister had made a living selling to incredulous fools for years. Which only meant that the destruction of said portal had likely been the wisest move available.

That that decision had ultimately come from her sister’s young apprentice only served to remind her of the bitter jealousy which had prompted the catastrophe that was her life. All her passion and effort naught but ash in the end. Outdone by a human of all things.

_“She even managed to best me… after a fashion. And certainly proved better against Belos than I did…”_

Lilith shook her head, eyes closed as she took a deep breath, the cooling air of the late evening calming her. She had no idea what had prompted Belos to _let_ them go, for that was indeed the truth of it. And there was no telling how long that mercy would last.

This would at least assuage some portion of her own guilt.

Thankfully acquiring the ‘key’ she needed had been a simple enough matter. Luz had now been here so long that she’d ended up needing a trim on her hair. Likely some memory of similar maternal actions had caused her turn towards the dour, but it had provided locks of the human’s hair which Lilith had managed to subtly acquire with minimal trouble. The number of magics that could be done to harm or heal through such simple things were numerous and while Eda had tried to show off that what she lacked in power she most certainly still had in knowledge she had left it to her demonic house guest to dispose of those cut hairs by fire.

While that infernal house demon might have some supernatural guile, King most certainly did not, and now Lilith had the last component necessary to construct this portal. It would be painstakingly difficult, fraught with dangers… but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

She need only ensure that absolutely everything was ready, not a single splinter on her magic-warped tree arch out of place nor the metallic conjuring basin and the scrolls arrayed about it. Even the tiniest disturbance could throw off the entire effort with catastrophic results.

Certain of her path, Lilith began to draw the circle before her, exactly seven plus seven paces from the arch. Feeling the painful drain upon her heart, her pulse quickening as the blood rushed to her head and the tips of her ears went oddly numb.

Brow creased in concentration she completed the circle before her, mind now focused on the specific arcane runes and equations needed to complete the portions of the spell-

“Hey, Lilith… Eda asked me to-wow… what’s that?!”

The human’s voice broke the silence… and her concentration.

As the _circle_ in her mind broke apart Lilith stumbled back, a cry stifled as she felt a terrible sense of vertigo that had her on her knees. The edges of her vision turned dark and red as her right hand clenched to her chest and her left dug into the still moist earth. Her heart felt loud, entirely too loud, while her gem seemed to burn upon her palm. She took slow, panting breathes that steadied her and she managed not to pass out. If casting spells correctly had felt unusually draining, having one as complicated and powerful as this fizzle had her doubled over like she’d just taken a blow to her stomach.

She hadn’t even the strength to brush off Luz when she came running and tried to help her up.

“Lilith! What-how… oh man, are you okay? Do I need to get Eda for this?”

She shook her head, almost coming to stand before stumbling being half caught by Luz who was holding her tightly. _“Strange, why would the human be acting so scared for me-“_

Lilith looked ahead and realized that it wasn’t concern for herself that should be on the forefront of anyone’s mind. The spell hadn’t fizzled.

If anything, it looked wild now, an out of control maelstrom centered around the basin where Luz’s hairs had been mixed into the noxious brew. Blue-white lightning and will-o-wisp fragments danced discordantly about the center point. The arch behind crackling with static like misaligned crystal ball. Showing an inky void one moment… endless stars the next.

This was bad.

“Yes, it might be best if you- _if we_ got Edalyn now,” Lilith said, already taking a step back. Wincing at the pain that accompanied that motion while she began to internally berate herself. _“Stupid. Stupid! What were you thinking Lilith?! There’s a reason ancient dimension witches performed their rituals in pairs or trios. Trying to open a dimensional gate by yourself? With this curse draining your magic?”_

She was lucky she hadn’t fainted _and_ had some disastrous miscast like this happen at the same time. They needed to get her sister… even with her magic drained she could still do some things with her staff alone and had been working to improve the shielding glyphs while rediscovering the one for dispelling magic. That should be enough for the two of them, along with the human’s help, to get this ensuing disaster back under control.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy.

Lilith managed all of two steps begore she felt a sudden tug on her dress from where Luz had been helping her stand. She turned towards the human in time to hear a frightened shriek and watch as they floated up, their eyes wide in fear as they kicked their legs out comically behind them, making a valiant but futile effort to swim through the air back towards the ground. Lilith reached out towards her and found her hand grabbed firmly as the tug towards the spell-storm grew stronger and she had to dig her own feet into the ground to keep from sliding forward. Almost like…

_“Oh no.”_

Of course. It couldn’t be just her mistake could it… she’d used the human’s hair to try and sync the new portal to the world of her birth, to her home and as close to it as possible. Of course, the spell would _react_ if the human herself came too close to it before it was finished, before the door could be opened. And now it was trying to drag that same sympathetic material towards it…

She’d balanced the runes for a half tuft of hair (ugh, such an archaic measurement system) not… whatever you’d call this.

_“A sacrifice?”_

Her lips pulled into strained grimace as the thought rose unbidden into her mind. She had no idea what would happen if she let go (lost her grip) on the human while the spell was still active. The best-case scenario had Luz being sent home… hopefully in one piece. They became progressively worse after that. Which meant that any plans to find Edalyn and attempt to safely dispel this mess wouldn’t do. She was going to have to stop it here and now. The only way she could…

“Human… Luz!” Lilith shouted above the rising sound of the wind, the crackling energy about them and the unsettling hum from the flickering gateway. Thankfully she had been wearing her cloak. “I need you to shield yourself from the spell… just hold on for a moment while I deal with this.”

She hoped she sounded more confident then she felt. Her staff felt heavy in her hand as she aimed it towards the center of her ritual. The basin, the scrolls now alit with power, and behind that the arch she’d painstakingly grown. A week of effort about to vanish in a great conflagration… but she had no other choice at this point. She tugged the human closer as she spun her staff once and pointed it forward. The flash of blue light poured out, leaving her feeling empty as it passed through the air.

“Lilith… Lil-“

Her legs felt weak as she stumbled forward, her eyes blinking away spots from the flash that had followed her spell’s impact. The basin and the scrolls were gone… but thankfully the portal itself seemed to have survived. The glitching stopped, a mirror like shine taking over the totality of it before blinking off as if it had never been there. The human came to rest, her feet on the ground while Lilith leaned upon her for support.

“Is it over now?”

She nodded, forcing herself to stand, using her staff to help support her as she stood next to the human. Thankfully most of her work had survived…

“Yes, though we should go get my sister before-“

A soft crinkling sound, not entirely unlike the sound of breaking ice underfoot echoed through the clearing. Lilith looked up and watched as thin spiderweb cracks began to spread across the air before them. Knitting together and growing wider towards the middle just as-

“Get down!”

She grabbed at the human, trying to pull her further away as the sound of breaking glass roared around them and a deafening silence suffocated their voices. The light of the sun vanished into sudden pitch-dark oblivion as gravity shifted towards the hole and they began to fall. Lilith turned her staff to the side, summoning what power and will she had left to awaken it for flight and tried to aim away from the yawning darkness. Only to stare in stupefied silence as the world around them vanished into a single pinprick of light amongst countless others. The silence not her own, as her words seemed to die even as she spoke them, Luz trying to pull hold on behind her and no doubt also finding herself suddenly mute.

She shifted on her staff, trying to orient towards some sort of direction, any direction, only for the whole of it to flip. White to dark and dark to white, and the silence replaced by a deafening roar…

Like a thousand bells going off at-

******

_She fell from her bed, the cold stones embracing her._

_Lilith rolled over, eyes unfocused, vision blurry… and muddled._

_She reached to her desk and picked up her glasses._

_That was wrong…_

_She was… she had been… wasn’t she…_

_The loud bell sounded again, and sudden panic gripped her._

_She was late!_

_So terribly late, on her first day, on the day she was presented to the Emperor. How could she have slept in…_

_Lilith dressed quickly, barely managing to pull the disheveled red mop of hair into something semi presentable as she ran from her rooms, glasses askew and almost bowled over a much shorter witch in the process._

_Kikimora spared her single glance as she fell into pace beside her. Taking the long winding steps down from her new room towards the grand hall where she would be presented as the newest member of the Emperor’s Coven officially. Her stomach loudly complaining from the lack of food, but given how nervous she felt it was likely best that she hadn’t eaten anything this morning._

_Soon enough she was knelling before the Titan’s Throne, awaiting their conquering savior in all his glory._

_“Rise, Lilith Clawthorne.”_

_She looked up, not even aware that he had entered the room and yet he already sat upon the throne. If she looked closely enough she swore she could see sparks of light in the depths of his mask._

_What was he…_

_“I understand that you won a duel for this position,” his voice dispelled her idle thoughts, and Lilith managed to nod once before she steadied her voice and answered._

_“Yes, my lord.”_

_“If one could call it a duel when the other… participant relinquishes their claim.”_

_What? This wasn’t how it had gone…_

_“I… my lord I was still the only other applicant that met your requirements.”_

_“And she did curse her sister to make sure she won Emperor,” said Kikimora, now standing beside Belos, looking older, her robes replaced with ones of higher rank as she wore now/would wear later._

_“That does show some desire for this position,” Belos said, thoughtfully fingers lightly stroking his staff as he stood. “But more fear that her own skills would be inadequate. Wouldn’t it be better to honorably lose against your kin and ensure only the most superior witches found their place in my coven?”_

_“M-my lord,” Lilith sputtered out, her voice failing her as she pleaded a case she had never made. “I… I was only doing as we are taught, seeking any advantage, doing all that I could to bring about my goals so that I could serve you.”_

_“I see. But did you intend for the curse you used to have such a… dramatic and lingering effect?” Belos’ staff was swung close, like a headsmen’s axe towards her neck. Stopping short and the winged adornment shifting forward, almost grazing her neck as she froze. Unable to answer, unable to deny the truth in that moment._

_“So then,” he continued, her silence all the answer he desired, “I believe you are either a coward or a failure… perhaps both. I have little need of either.”_

_“My lo-URK!”_

_She was lifted up, a red glow about her neck, tight enough to choke the life from her in short order. With a dismissive flick of his hand, Lilith was sent flying backward till she hit the ground and-_

******

She rolled to her side, coughing and hacking. The sun was high, higher than it had been before and bet down upon her mercilessly. The grit of sand was in her mouth and she seemed half buried in it. Looking about her the painful glare of the light bombarded her senses, and combined with the already intolerably weakness from her prior mystical exertion she very nearly passed out again. Her staff was nearby…

But nothing and no one else…

“Oh no… what have I done now.”

*******

**_:// SCANNING…_ **

**_:// UNUSUAL MAGICAL ENERGY DETERMINED 1.7 KILOMETERS FROM WESTERN RESOURCE NODE…_ **

**_:// DISPATCH SCOUTING GROUP TO DETERMINE CAUSE…_ **

**_:// ANDROID ACTIVITY LOW IN AREA. MINIMAL RESISTENCE EXPECTED._ **


End file.
